Mind-Body Workshops Help Military Heroes Heal

New workshops offer tools and resources for coping with stress and trauma. (NAPS)

(NAPSI)—To help veterans, active-duty members of the military and
their families better cope with stress and trauma, the American Red Cross
created a new set of workshops teaching easy-to-use skills that promote
wellness through mind-body connection.

What They Do

These Mind-Body Workshops focus on the powerful ways in which emotional,
mental, social and spiritual factors can directly affect health.

The first workshop, Using Mind-Body Skills for Performance, helps
participants explore the use of breathing, mindfulness techniques,
stretching, movement and guided imagery to aid healing.

The second workshop, Using Mind-Body Skills, guides participants through
using mind-body techniques for personal growth and healing through drawing,
journaling, meditation, mindfulness, body scan, progressive muscle relaxation
and self-directed imagery.

The workshops are part of the organization’s well-established
resiliency program, which also includes Reconnection Workshops and
Psychological First Aid courses. The extensive Red Cross presence in
communities and on military installations around the world allows easy access
to the new program for members of the military and veterans.

“There is no magic formula for healing both the visible and
invisible injuries caused by the challenges of a military lifestyle, and that’s
why the Red Cross is excited to work with the Bob Woodruff Foundation to
create this complementary and integrative program,” added Koby Langley,
Senior Vice President for Service to the Armed Forces at the Red Cross.

“The Bob Woodruff foundation supports programs that promote a
holistic approach to healing for those recovering from the hidden wounds of
war,” explained Anne Marie Dougherty, the executive director.

How To Learn More

For further information about the Mind-Body Workshops, go to www.redcross.org/mindbodyworkshops.
The American Red Cross shelters, feeds and provides emotional support to
victims of disasters; supplies about 40 percent of the nation’s blood;
teaches skills that save lives; provides international humanitarian aid; and
supports military members and their families. It’s a not-for-profit
organization that depends on volunteers and the generosity of the American
public to perform its mission. To discover how you can help, visit redcross.org or cruzrojaamericana.org.